Uttar Pradesh drafts new building bylaws for ’25, invites public objections

The Uttar Pradesh housing and urban planning department has drafted new building regulations titled the Uttar Pradesh Building Construction and Development Bylaws 2025, set to replace the current 2008 bylaws. Officials said that the draft has been released for public feedback.

Citizens can submit their objections or suggestions in writing at the housing and urban planning department’s office in Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, or via email at ctcpbuildingbyelaws2025@gmail.com within the 15-day feedback window, officials said

To be sure, the 2025 draft incorporates all amendments and notifications made to the 2008 bylaws and aims to overhaul urban development norms. The first bylaws were introduced in 2000, and the current ones, formulated in 2008, have undergone periodic amendments.

A major change in the draft is the allowance of more commercial activity within residential zones, officials said. It introduces the concept of “Bazaar Streets”, with a minimum right-of-way of 12 metres, or the width proposed in the master plan. Commercial usage will be allowed across the entire plot depth, with ground and first floors reserved for commercial use. Residential use will be permitted on upper floors and optionally on the ground and first floors upon request, the draft added.

 ”There shall be no restriction on building height for bazaar streets,” the draft notes. However, it adds that the height must comply with regulations for protected monuments, heritage sites, airport funnel zones, and other statutory limits.

 A former town-planning officer from the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) on condition of anonymity said that until now, commercial activities were only allowed on roads 12 metres wide or more. “Now, retail shops may be allowed on roads having a minimum width of nine metres and, in some cases, six metres,” he added.

 In built-up areas, retail shops will be permitted on roads with a minimum width of six metres, while in non-built-up areas, the minimum width remains nine metres. Previously, commercial use was restricted to the ground floor, but the new draft allows use of the first floor as well.

 The draft also includes updated standards for mixed-use development and sets floor area ratios (FAR) for such buildings in transit-orientated development (TOD) zones. In Ghaziabad, the GDA has designated TOD zones within a 1.5km radius of the eight Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) stations in its draft Master Plan 2031.

 The TOD zones, aligned with the national TOD policy of 2017 and state revisions in 2022, allow mixed residential and commercial use. “The draft 2025 building bylaws have been framed, and the state government has invited objections from the public within a period of 15 days,” said Rudresh Shukla, media coordinator of GDA.

 Meanwhile, secretary of the confederation of real estate developers’ associations of India (NCR) Gaurav Gupta said the changes are people-friendly and could bring down housing costs. “The bylaws have also permitted multiple units on smaller plot sizes... developers can now plan projects more efficiently,” he added.